We got stronger and stronger

Old manager came to play current manager today and it was the current manager who came out on top as we beat Bournemouth 3-0 with all the goals coming in the second half.

Bournemouth had a goal disallowed by VAR for handball in the first half and then conceded a penalty in similar fashion in the second half after they’d gone down to the other end and scored and needless to say that’s what visiting boss Eddie Howe was asked about after the game.

“It’s very difficult and I’ve got to be careful what I say,” Howe said. “I think the first decision probably dictates the rest of the game because I think that for me is a clear goal, I think it’s come off Phil’s shoulder. I think it’s a perfectly good goal and I think without the first decision I don’t think VAR would get involved with the second incident which obviously is a two goal swing against us.

“I think from that moment, when it went 2-0, I thought we were mentally spent in the game. I thought psychologically we couldn’t come back again. It was very difficult for the players but up until that moment I thought we played really well.”

Asked if he considered the game turned on the first of the decisions, he added: “I don’t think it was the turning point in the whole match but I think it was a turning point in terms of the decisions because then I think the second one is possibly given because the first one was.

“I’ve seen loads of handballs this year. I think very, very rarely has one been given in your own box for handball because they’ve been very careful to not give them and I think Adam (Smith), and I’ve got to believe my player. I haven’t had great views of the second one but Adam says it hit him on the shoulder and not on the arm. I have to trust what he tells me and in that case it shouldn’t have been given.

“At half time we were ok at 0-0 in the game. We were in a good place, we’d played well. I thought we were the better team and looking forward to the second half. I haven’t seen that yet this season in the Premier League, someone might tell me otherwise, where there has been a contentious moment at one end and the other team has gone and scored.

“Psychologically we think we are 1-1 and a few seconds later and we are 2-0 and it was very difficult for the players from that moment. Give Burnley credit from that moment, they were good but we just couldn’t deal with it.”

The decisions were the only talking point and when Sean Dyche spoke, it was very much the same topic although he had a different view to that of Howe. “It was in interesting game for many reasons,” Dyche said. “I wasn’t happy with everything I saw, but I’m delighted with the result.

“It was probably an anomaly of a game with the VAR moments, because I don’t think you’ll see too many like that.

“In the first half I thought they were better than us, on a day when the wind was so strong, going down the pitch. That gave them momentum, but they just had a better control of the game and caused us many problems.

“The best part of our game is that when things aren’t going so well, we stay in there. That always gives you a chance and Nick Pope is there for many reasons; one is that he’s a top goalkeeper. He made some big saves and then, unfortunately they had the VAR incident that went against them.

“For the first one, it’s a tough one to take, but, because it leads to a goal it’s hand ball. It’s been made clear that in such incidents it wouldn’t be given and you can see the lad (Billing) does move towards the ball. So, even though I think it’s a tough one, factually it’s hand ball.

“In the second half, the boot was on the opposite foot. we had the momentum and the wind and got on the front foot. As the half went on, we got stronger and stronger, and for the second goal, it’s hand ball, simple as. It adds a furore to the story because they went up the other end and scored, and that’s not ideal for fans or players, but it’s hand ball and, in the end, the right decision was reached because I could see it from where I was.

“His arm was in an unnatural position and he threw his arm at the ball. The fourth official assured me they were looking at it straight away, and thankfully they got it right.”